I hate the a holes in cars that are about to fall apart driving down the road endangering everyone. Actually there are a holes of all types so I just dislike them in general and don't generalize them to any type of commuter. Actually I was downtown last week walking in front of compuware where the sidewalk is 12 feet wide and he almost ran me over. If he was hot I might have been okay with it but he wasn't so we should tax running then too.

What I am trying to say is that this is trivial arguing and my horrible stupid arguments are about as smart as some of the stuff I read in this thread.

You didn't read my post very accurately did you ? The bike path or more accurately bike lane is on the road, the road has been widened to include a lane 5 feet wide for cyclists only no pedestrians it is lined with bike path painted in their lane and signs all over the place yet these inconsiderate idiots choose to ride in the car traffic lanes. So yes if they hold me up I will lay some black diesel smoke all over them.

My bad, I missed that.

Just like any other gropu of people, there are exceptions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuddyPaws

Training really? If you are that worried about training, then go rent a damn track. You still have to stop for stop signs and red lights and school buses, and pedestrians....or do you not follow the rules of the road and just blast through those things like most riders?

I hope none of you have a heart condition because this will send you're heart rate up a notch.....I don't stop for stop signs unless there are other cars at or approaching the intersection. The only exception for stopping at stop lights are ones that are weight triggered. Other wise I stop at every single one, in my proper lane as if I were a car. If it's really busy traffic and I'm at a wieght triggered one I'll just move up past the stop line and have the car behind me activate it. If it's not busy traffic, I'll treat eat as a stop sign.

Here's a dilemma that I always wonder about when I'm riding. Would you rather me obey the law completely and make a complete stop, foot off the pedal then start up again if I were the first vehicle to the sign? I'm sure you wouldn't. I still stop, but I'm sure most of you would pissed that I wasted your time being legal and making a complete stop. Just like being legal and riding on the road.

Really? I see them on the sidewalks all the time. Haven't seen a "anti-sidewalk-bicycle task force" pulling people over either. Oh and running red lights, stop signs and riding in the left hand turn lane is totally legit right?

Are you actually saying it is more dangerous to ride on the sidewalk then it is to ride in a 5 lane road? Really? Well shit, no wonder kids all over are dying. They aren't riding out in traffic with cars and trucks where they belong.

I see what you did there....It's not the same though. If I'm keeping my normal pace (20-22MPH) and I'm going by a walker (2-3MPH?) I could be doing upwards of 11 times their speed. Even slowing down would still put me in the 4 or 5X range. That would be like you trying to pass a cyclist, who is weaving back and forth and is completely unpredictable, at 200ish MPH. Do you get why that wouldn't be safe?

Also, there is a method to cycling that involves training your Cadence (RPM's of your legs) to remain steady. If you're training in this matter, bike paths that stop and go and are busy are pretty much useless. When I'm training that way, I go to the country.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuddyPaws

Really? I see them on the sidewalks all the time. Haven't seen a "anti-sidewalk-bicycle task force" pulling people over either. Oh and running red lights, stop signs and riding in the left hand turn lane is totally legit right?

Are you actually saying it is more dangerous to ride on the sidewalk then it is to ride in a 5 lane road? Really? Well shit, no wonder kids all over are dying. They aren't riding out in traffic with cars and trucks where they belong.

I see this special type of Dick-head, quite often as well. If he's going to be on the street, put plates and INS on the bike. That'll encourage sidewalk use, and i won't spill my latte when i hit this speed bump, i.mean cyclist.

get a set of train horns and give him a 'honk' and a friendly wave as you drive by. oh, and hit the windshield washer button - chances are he's over heating and could use a quick mist of moisture as you drive by.

My wife and I love to ride. When we do ride on the road, we do it legally,and with respect to the traffic around to cause as little inconvenience to traffic as possible, which many times includes not doing things that we are legally entitled to do as a cyclist. Many times, we will ILLEGALLY ride on the shitty old sidewalk full of broken concrete, missing concrete, exposed tree roots, fallen branches, garbage cans, and children playing, to avoid LEGALLY riding on the road.

We've all but given up trying to ride on the road unless there is a huge (48" wide or wider) shoulder, or it's an organized even with the roads blocked off. Even rural roads that one car goes down an hour aren't safe with some off the assholes out there. Even BIKE LANES aren't even remotely safe to ride in. Some of the attitudes and thoughts expressed in this thread are a perfect example of why. There are too many ignorant assholes out there who....

who think that just because they've seen a few cyclists do stupid shit that every cyclist on the road needs to be "paid back" for the stupid shit that those people have done

who think it's some game to "buzz" me by going by at highway speeds purposely hugging the right side of the road and missing my head with their big tow mirror by just inches

who insist on staying in the far right lane on a 4 lane divided highway so they can buzz me, even though there are no other cars on the road, and they could have easily moved over

who like to wait until the very last second before they blow their horn for absolutely no reason and scare the shit out of me

who won't slow down for just a few seconds until it's clear to pass

who think passing a cyclist is the perfect opportunity to show how much coal their diesel can roll

who like to throw trash and other shit out the window as if it's a game of "hit the cyclist on the way by"

who throw nails and glass bottles on the road ahead of me as I'm riding

who feel entitled to the road for themselves only for ridiculous reasons that usually defy the law

I find that most of these assholes have some sort of entitlement problem, and apparently think "I'm the best driver on the road and everybody else can get the fukc out of my way". Along with this comes their thought that....

semis and anybody with a trailer needs to stay in the right lane at all times, except for me when I have a trailer

everybody going slower than me (regardles of the speed limit or road conditions) is impeding traffic and needs to speed up

everybody going faster than me (regardless of the speed limit or road conditions) is reckless and needs to slow down

you should know that I'm driving a big truck with a big trailer and I can't stop in a reasonable distance, so if I run a red light and hit you, it's your fault because because you were too stupid to not know that I can't stop, and you shouldn't have went when the light turned green

anybody towing a trailer is too heavy / loaded wrong, except me, because I drive a 30 year old Cummins and I can tow 50,000 pounds safely

After riding respectfully for years and years, and being treated like that (potentially killed - many, many times), people wonder why cyclists do stuff like pull out into the middle of the extra-narrow lane as they cross a bridge so nobody can get by until they are across the bridge. It's because we know that one of these days some asshole is going to kill us. So because so many drivers are so stupid, we need to force them to obey the law and do what's safe, because we know that many people won't.

Regardless of what is legal, illegal, right, wrong, or what anybody says, I've all but given up. Car versus bike = bike loses every time. I don't love cycling so much that I'm willing to roll the dice with death that often. Cyclists are way outnumbered, so no matter how hard we try, or what the laws are, it's a losing battle for cyclists.

My wife and I love to ride. When we do ride on the road, we do it legally,and with respect to the traffic around to cause as little inconvenience to traffic as possible, which many times includes not doing things that we are legally entitled to do as a cyclist. Many times, we will ILLEGALLY ride on the shitty old sidewalk full of broken concrete, missing concrete, exposed tree roots, fallen branches, garbage cans, and children playing, to avoid LEGALLY riding on the road.

We've all but given up trying to ride on the road unless there is a huge (48" wide or wider) shoulder, or it's an organized even with the roads blocked off. Even rural roads that one car goes down an hour aren't safe with some off the assholes out there. Even BIKE LANES aren't even remotely safe to ride in. Some of the attitudes and thoughts expressed in this thread are a perfect example of why. There are too many ignorant assholes out there who....

who think that just because they've seen a few cyclists do stupid shit that every cyclist on the road needs to be "paid back" for the stupid shit that those people have done

who think it's some game to "buzz" me by going by at highway speeds purposely hugging the right side of the road and missing my head with their big tow mirror by just inches

who insist on staying in the far right lane on a 4 lane divided highway so they can buzz me, even though there are no other cars on the road, and they could have easily moved over

who like to wait until the very last second before they blow their horn for absolutely no reason and scare the shit out of me

who won't slow down for just a few seconds until it's clear to pass

who think passing a cyclist is the perfect opportunity to show how much coal their diesel can roll

who like to throw trash and other shit out the window as if it's a game of "hit the cyclist on the way by"

who throw nails and glass bottles on the road ahead of me as I'm riding

who feel entitled to the road for themselves only for ridiculous reasons that usually defy the law

I find that most of these assholes have some sort of entitlement problem, and apparently think "I'm the best driver on the road and everybody else can get the fukc out of my way". Along with this comes their thought that....

semis and anybody with a trailer needs to stay in the right lane at all times, except for me when I have a trailer

everybody going slower than me (regardles of the speed limit or road conditions) is impeding traffic and needs to speed up

everybody going faster than me (regardless of the speed limit or road conditions) is reckless and needs to slow down

you should know that I'm driving a big truck with a big trailer and I can't stop in a reasonable distance, so if I run a red light and hit you, it's your fault because because you were too stupid to not know that I can't stop, and you shouldn't have went when the light turned green

anybody towing a trailer is too heavy / loaded wrong, except me, because I drive a 30 year old Cummins and I can tow 50,000 pounds safely

After riding respectfully for years and years, and being treated like that (potentially killed - many, many times), people wonder why cyclists do stuff like pull out into the middle of the extra-narrow lane as they cross a bridge so nobody can get by until they are across the bridge. It's because we know that one of these days some asshole is going to kill us. So because so many drivers are so stupid, we need to force them to obey the law and do what's safe, because we know that many people won't.

Regardless of what is legal, illegal, right, wrong, or what anybody says, I've all but given up. Car versus bike = bike loses every time. I don't love cycling so much that I'm willing to roll the dice with death that often. Cyclists are way outnumbered, so no matter how hard we try, or what the laws are, it's a losing battle for cyclists.

I simply use my position in the road to communicate to the vehicles that I prefer they didn't try and pass me at the time. That's only when it's not safe for them to do so. I always get over when it's perfectly safe for them to pass me.

Darwin is going to catch up with you...

Try staying over all the time, you know, common sense "I don't want to get run over kind of thing."

if its a highway isn't it illegal to be on it with a cycle? just saying... I know they can be on the country and city roads... but there are requirements for highways like no more than 20mph below the speed limit?

Try staying over all the time, you know, common sense "I don't want to get run over kind of thing."

Yeah, I'll get over so they only half run me over when they try and pass me within 2 in of my handle bars. No thanks.

I don't believe in Darwin. When I'm meant to go, I'll go. However, I do my best to be VERY visible and give any driver fair warning that I am down the road from them. I'd rather give them no option to pass me then to think "I think I can squeeze in there and get past him, my Taco bell is getting cold".

if its a highway isn't it illegal to be on it with a cycle? just saying... I know they can be on the country and city roads... but there are requirements for highways like no more than 20mph below the speed limit?

Nope. Usually highways have shoulders though. Generally speaking cyclists try and stay away from them because it's miserable riding. I prefer a small, but well paved, country road over a highway.

if its a highway isn't it illegal to be on it with a cycle? just saying... I know they can be on the country and city roads... but there are requirements for highways like no more than 20mph below the speed limit?

Quote:

Originally Posted by L4CX

Nope. Usually highways have shoulders though. Generally speaking cyclists try and stay away from them because it's miserable riding. I prefer a small, but well paved, country road over a highway.

Did you ever think that you are making car drivers waste their gas when they slow down to follow behind you, then they have to speed back up once they pass you. It is a lot easier for a bicycler to slow from 20 to maybe 7-8 mph to pass a person vs making a car slow from 55/60ish-20 to follow then pass a bicycler.